886.00 FA/10–2351: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices 1
385. Passage MSA Appropriation Act October 19 makes available $65 million economic aid to Arab States in form contribs to PRA plus bilateral aid.
Now possible make massive approach problem economic development as sketched Clapp report. While delay final Cong action most unfortunate, now must make up for lost time to conduct effective 1952 operations. Legis has set pattern which may be followed subsequent years, and 1953 programming is also matter urgency.
To provide missions and PRA full background for negots propose send Gardiner and Fryer representing McGhee and Bennett to area leaving Washington October 30 to be available brief period concentrating efforts Damascus, Amman and Baghdad where assume best MSA opportunities. They shld arrange see Blandford and Macatee soon. Beirut pls cable if mtg Beirut or Paris October 30 more convenient.
TCA teams described Deptels October 19 will be available work out details program.2
- Drafted and transmitted by Mr. Gardiner, cleared by NE, S/ISA, TCA, and UNA. Sent to Cairo, Baghdad, Jidda, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Beirut, Damascus, Amman.↩
- Reference is to a series of telegrams sent to various Near Eastern missions stating that the projected expanded technical cooperation aid program for the region, beginning with Fiscal Year 1952, required that the Technical Cooperation Administration organize regional operating divisions in Washington to provide line administration for all programs (telegram 141 to Jidda, telegram 155 to Damascus, telegram 359 to Beirut, October 19, in file 880.00 TA/10–1951).↩